Bond Mooting Competition

The National High School Mooting Competition is held annually by Bond University, and is one of the most prestigious mooting competitions in Australia. This moot followed a mock civil trial procedure, where students stepped into the shoes of barristers or solicitors for the appellant or respondent.

As Bond University succinctly explains, “mooting is a simulated court proceeding where student teams are presented with a legal problem which they are required to argue before a ‘judge’ or panel of ‘judges’. Through their preparation and presentation of each case, students must show an understanding of the relevant law and how it should be applied in their client’s case.”

This year, three Mac.Rob students participated in the competition: Chloe Y, Harshitha M, and Tanveerjaha R, representing the respondents in the fictional mooting scenario. For all of us, it was our first time participating in an external mooting event. We were able to moot in front of law professors who took on the role of judges, allowing us to develop our research and advocacy skills in a formal context.

The students all reflect on their experience with the competition below.

“For me, developing arguments using real cases helped me gain a comprehensive understanding of the significant legal policies surrounding us. It made me realise that law is an interesting and complex endeavour!” — Tanveerjaha R (12F).

“Get involved with our very own Mac.Rob mooting competition, hosted by the Mac.Rob mooting team (including Harshi) :)” — Chloe Y (12F).

“This experience was really insightful for me, as I was able to apply my Legal Studies ¾ knowledge practically to a simulated legal scenario. Though it was occasionally difficult to respond to the Judges’ questions, I had a fun time rising to the challenge to the best of my ability. Our team had a lot of fun!” — Harshitha M (12A).

Our wonderful Harshi, the Senior Council, was awarded an Honourable Mention for Advocacy amongst a very strong competition of 700-odd participating schools. Once again, we were so grateful to be afforded this opportunity, and hope to apply the skills we learned through mooting in our future studies and careers.

Chloe Y (12F), Tanveerjaha R (12F) and Harshitha M (12A)